Lindos

Lindos of Rhodes is a beautiful little village of
white cubist houses at the foot of a vertical rock that is crowned by
the ancient Acropolis of Lindos. The landscape all around is so barren
it literally feels like a landscape from another planet. The town of
Lindos itself however is perfectly located to take advantage of the two
small harbors below and the easily defensible acropolis above it.

Lindos is home to about 800 permanent inhabitants, but this number swells
during the summer months, as just about every able house of Lindos has
been converted into rental dwellings. The town retains a quaint island
character with its cubist dwellings packed tightly around winding cobblestone
streets at the foot of the dramatic rock. Some of the buildings of Lindos
date back to the 15c.

Lindos has been inhabited since the 3th millennium BCE and was a major
commercial center of the island since it was home to the only practical
natural harbors of the island of Rhodes. The archaeological evidence
of the greater area speak of a sizable Mycenaean population and it became
a major center after the Dorians divided the island into three
separate states (Lindos, Kameiros, and Ialysos). These states existed
in cooperation with each other along with Kos, Halikarnasos, and Knidos.

While Lindos was blessed with two wonderful harbors, it was also located
in the least fertile part of the island. Consequently, Lindos developed
its seafaring and commercial activities, and it grew to the point of
being able to support its own colonies by the 7th c. BCE. Most notable
colonies founded with the help of Lindos (Crete and Tilos contributed
as well) are the town of Parthenopea in Italy (later became Naples),
and Gela in Sicily.

Lindos reached its highest development during the 6th c. BCE under the
tyranny of the Kleovoulos, famed for his riddle-solving and law drafting
abilities. At this time the temple of Athena (probably founded in 1000
BCE) was rebuilt and dedicated with the spoils of the wars of the Rhodian
against the Lyceans of Asia Minor.

After the Persian wars Lindos joined the Delian League under Athenian
hegemony, and along with Kameiros and Ialysos created the new city of
Rhodes at the northern tip of the island, the location that has been
inhabited until today. After the city of Rhodes was founded, Lindos ceased
being a commercial center, but it remained an important religious hub
for subsequent centuries and through the Hellenistic era.

Along the healthy religious growth, Lindos established itself as a major
cultural and artistic center. Notably, the sculptor Charis of Lindos,
student of Lysippus, was the creator of the Colossus of Rhodes, the huge
bronze statue that reportedly straddled the entrance to the harbor of
Rhodes and was named as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The Acropolis of Lindos

The acropolis of Lindos bares witness to the multitude
of cultural influences that established themselves on the area for centuries
at a time. The ancient Greek Sanctuary of Athena Lindia dominates the
acropolis of Lindos with the massive double-winged stoa and the massive
staircase that leads to the propylaea and the temple of Athena beyond.
Most of the ruins date back to the Hellenistic era and the temple of
Athena Lindia was built in the 6th century BCE on the spot of an earlier
temple. It was destroyed by fire in 342 BCE, and was built again after
300 BCE along with the Propylaea and the stoa (added in 208 BCE). What
stands today of the sanctuary is the restoration of these Hellenistic
interventions although some earlier features are visible to the careful
observer.

Much later in Byzantine times the statue of Athena was moved to Konstantinoupolis
and the church of Saint John was built at the north end of the stoa ruins.
The only access point to the Acropolis in ancient times is the same one
used today. A long ascent from Lindos town culminates on a small plateau
right below the ruins, and from there the sacred way, a narrow and long
staircase, leads to the ancient ruins atop the Acropolis.

In the medieval era, the knights surrounded the entire acropolis plateau
with the impressive wall that is still visible today, and added the “Palace
of the Knights” right at the top of the long staircase that leads
to the acropolis. When the Turks controlled Rhodes they converted the
church of St. John to a Muslim mosque and built several other edifices
that were demolished when the Italians excavated the site early in the
20th century.

Visiting Lindos

Lindos is 35 Km away from Rhodes, and it can take up to an hour to reach
it by car. I arrived there exactly at 10:30 am to find myself among
a frenzy of activity by donkeys and donkey guides who scurried around
with glazing eyes, looking to ferry tourists to the acropolis atop
the patient pack animals.

Walking to the acropolis is a major hike through very steep and slippery
stone path. Make sure to take enough water with you because once you
reach the acropolis after the hard climb in the mid-morning you will
need to re-hydrate, and there is no store that sells water at the acropolis.
In fact, even on the way down it is a long time before you will reach
a store and by then storeowners know you will pay anything for a bottle
of water. I was charged one Euro (twice the indicated price) for a small
bottle of water.

I have visited just about every major archaeological site in Greece
and I never felt as crowded as I felt at Lindos. At mid-morning the acropolis
of Lindos was literally overrun by tourists. Besides the small, dark
building at the entrance of the acropolis, there is no other shade to
be had on top of the rock, and the sun can be punishing in the summer.

Countless visitors crowded the narrow shade cast by the side of the ancient temple and
the stoa to enjoy a few minutes away from the sunrays. The site guards
were also conspicuously avoiding the intense sun, thus allowing the many
tourists to roam everywhere unimpeded, even climbing over the ropes that
protected the temple of Athena to take a picture inside.

The many slippery steps, the steep climb, the lack of amenities, the
crowds, and the donkey poo, make this a site to avoid after 9:00 am in
the summer. Your best bet is to arrive at Lindos at opening time (currently
8:00 am in the summer) and leave before the busses arrive from Rhodes.
The beaches of Lindos are very nice, so you might also consider a swim
after the visit to the acropolis.

Overall, the acropolis of Lindos is a very scenic site. Even though
its importance in the greater ancient Greek world is minimal, it’s
definitely worth a visit for the beautiful views it offers from the top.

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